Learning How to Cook in Marrakesh

There is one type of travel that has grown in popularity recently and that is experiential travel. Experiential travel involves people who don’t just want to go to an exotic location just for the weather, they want to go and experience or learn a new skill. One of the most popular in this type of holiday or travel is the culinary experiences. In particular, we will look at why people are more and more interested in a holiday that they go on and learn how to cook in Marrakesh. As you may or may not know, Moroccan food is an enthralling mix of flavours and spices and while it is true that couscous and tagines are widely available nowadays, there is nothing that is quite like learning how to cook under the superior guidance of a Moroccan teacher with fresh food sourced from and cooked in Morocco.

When you are considering a holiday to learn how to cook in Marrakesh you should consider exactly what you want to learn. If you just want to learn some very basic recipes and skills then there are many schools that offer either morning or afternoon sessions that involves hands on instructions and individual workstations. The other option available to travellers looking for an exciting culinary experience is the residential based cookery classes. In these classes you are taught how to find the best local produce at markets and then some cooking skills to prepare the fresh ingredients.

One of the most popular culinary schools in Marrakesh is the independent course for tourists set up by French chef Michel Paillet. Faim d’Epices is bolstered by Paillet’s sense of humour, enthusiasm and invaluable advice and cooking tips. The very modern cooking school is located on a farm that is surrounded by olive and citrus groves and is about 20 minute’s journey by car. He likes to keep things as intimate as possible and only takes on group sizes of around 6 to 10.

Paillet famously begins his classes with a very light hearted guess the spice test. This helps teach his students how to recognise scents and match them to the appropriate ingredients. After that it is time to start some cooking with a lesson in how to make flatbreads. After that it is onto main courses and of course tagines figure very prominently. The recipes change from class to class, but some of the classic dishes that have been taught in the past include chicken with preserved lemons and olives and beef, pears and candied oranges. With the help of his loyal sous chef, Michel instructs the class on how to layer a tagine with vegetables that are tapered into the centre of the dish so they cook at the same time and then they are shown how to add the sauce in small quantities.

Of course the above is merely one suggestion and there are many other options available. No matter what you decide to do when you go to Marrakesh you will undoubtedly have an experience that will stay with you long after the scent of all those spices has left hair and clothing!